President Obama speaks to about 400 invited guests at the Betty Ann Ong Chinese Recreation Center in S.F.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

President Obama speaks to about 400 invited guests at the Betty Ann...

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Code pink protestors walk past Octavia park during President Barack Obama's luncheon fundraiser at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, November 25, 2013. Protesters say that Obama's drone policy is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians in Pakistan and Yemen.

A member of Iraq Veterans Against the War lies in the street to protest U.S. drone attacks as Obama speaks inside the SFJazz Center.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, Chronicle

A member of Iraq Veterans Against the War lies in the street to...

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Crowds of people lined the sidewalks around the recreation center. President Obama spoke at the Betty Ong Recreation Center, on the outskirts of Chinatown, about passing immigration reform Monday November 25, 2013.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Crowds of people lined the sidewalks around the recreation center....

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein greets President Obama as he exits Air Force One at San Francisco International Airport to begin a five-hour visit to the city. He went on to speak about immigration and other matters at an event in Chinatown and to attend fundraisers at the SFJazz Center in Hayes Valley and the Presidio Heights home of Salesforce founder Marc Benioff.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Sen. Dianne Feinstein greets President Obama as he exits Air Force...

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Code pink protestors rally at Octavia park during President Barack Obama's luncheon fundraiser at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Calif., before they get ready to march on Monday, November 25, 2013. Protesters say that Obama's drone policy is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians in Pakistan and Yemen.

Code Pink protesters show their opposition to drone warfare outside...

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Code pink protestors lay on the street during President Barack Obama's luncheon fundraiser at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, November 25, 2013. Protesters say that Obama's drone policy is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians in Pakistan and Yemen.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, Chronicle

Code pink protestors lay on the street during President Barack...

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President Obama waved to the crowd as he arrived on Air Force One. President Obama arrived in San Francisco, Calif for a day of fund raisers and speeches Monday November 25, 2013.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

President Obama waved to the crowd as he arrived on Air Force One....

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Smarty joins Code pink protestors meeting at Octavia park during President Barack Obama's luncheon fundraiser at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, November 25, 2013. Protesters say that Obama's drone policy is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians in Pakistan and Yemen.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, Chronicle

Smarty joins Code pink protestors meeting at Octavia park during...

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President Obama talked about the importance of immigration reform. President Obama spoke at the Betty Ong Recreation Center, on the outskirts of Chinatown, about passing immigration reform Monday November 25, 2013.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

President Obama talked about the importance of immigration reform....

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Code pink protestors march from Octavia park during President Barack Obama's luncheon fundraiser at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, November 25, 2013. Protesters say that Obama's drone policy is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians in Pakistan and Yemen.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, Chronicle

Code pink protestors march from Octavia park during President...

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President Obama turned to address a man yelling about his family in the crowd. President Obama spoke at the Betty Ong Recreation Center, on the outskirts of Chinatown, about passing immigration reform Monday November 25, 2013.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

President Obama turned to address a man yelling about his family in...

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Protestors from the Sierra club and 350.org protest the Keystone XL pipeline on Franklin St. during President Barack Obama's luncheon fundraiser at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, November 25, 2013.

Photo: Liz Hafalia / Chronicle

Protestors from the Sierra club and 350.org protest the Keystone XL...

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Protester Ju Hong, 24, in the crowd in back of the President, yelled at him to help his family. President Obama spoke at the Betty Ong Recreation Center, on the outskirts of Chinatown, about passing immigration reform Monday November 25, 2013.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Protester Ju Hong, 24, in the crowd in back of the President,...

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Protestors from the Sierra club and 350.org protest the Keystone XL pipeline on Franklin Street during President Barack Obama's luncheon fundraiser at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, November 25, 2013.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, Chronicle

Protestors from the Sierra club and 350.org protest the Keystone XL...

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Protestor Jessica Ronald from the Sierra club protests the Keystone XL pipeline on Franklin Street during President Barack Obama's luncheon fundraiser at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, November 25, 2013.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, Chronicle

Protestor Jessica Ronald from the Sierra club protests the Keystone...

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President Obama greeted California Senator Dianne Feinstein right after arriving. President Obama arrived in San Francisco, Calif for a day of fund raisers and speeches Monday November 25, 2013.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

President Obama greeted California Senator Dianne Feinstein right...

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Code pink protestor Toby Blome (in pink) from El Cerrito lays on the street during President Barack Obama's luncheon fundraiser at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, November 25, 2013. Protesters say that Obama's drone policy is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians in Pakistan and Yemen.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, Chronicle

Code pink protestor Toby Blome (in pink) from El Cerrito lays on...

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Marlene Donjacour (left) from Olympia with her sister Maria Donjacour (right) from San Francisco protest Keystone XL on Franklin Street during President Barack Obama's luncheon fundraiser at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, November 25, 2013.

President Obama issued an impassioned call Monday for Congress to pass immigration reform during a visit to San Francisco that - in true city-by-the-bay fashion - included everything from a nod to Batkid to an exchange with a protester who pleaded with him to halt all immigrant deportations.

Obama's frank conversation with the protester came during an invitation-only address before 400 people at a Chinatown recreation center. Later, at a sold-out fundraiser at the SFJazz Center, the president again found himself in conversation with a shouting audience member who urged him to bypass congressional Republicans and use executive orders to accomplish major reforms.

In both cases, Obama delivered a sobering message: "There's no shortcut to democracy" and work on such important issues will be hard. But, as he told the fundraiser audience, "we have to keep pushing."

Although he blamed "the unwillingness of certain Republicans in Congress to catch up with the rest of the country," he pointedly exempted Speaker John Boehner from his criticism - noting that the Ohio Republican has recently opened the door to the possibility of bringing pieces of the package to a vote.

"I believe the speaker is sincere," Obama said. Chopping a comprehensive reform package into chunks, he said, is "OK - it's Thanksgiving. We can carve that bird into multiple pieces."

The Senate's immigration package includes creating a path to citizenship for some immigrants in the country illegally, a provision that many Republicans dislike, and beefing up security at the Mexican border, which meets with wider GOP approval. If the House backed the full package, Obama said, the U.S. economy would grow by $1.4 trillion over the next 20 years while the deficit would shrink by $850 million.

Obama cited a local example of the benefits of immigration - Andrew Lee and his four brothers, who fled Vietnam, entered the U.S. as refugees and in 1984 took over a cafe in San Francisco that they turned into today's $60 million Sugar Bowl Bakery operation.

"These humble and striving immigrants from Vietnam now employ more than 300 Americans," Obama said, and suggested to laughter that perhaps the bakery could acquaint him with its famously tasty doughnuts.

Deportation heckler

Obama's half-hour speech was interrupted near the end by a protester who stood on risers behind the president, yelled that he had been separated from his South Korean family for 19 months and told him, "You have the power to stop deportations."

As the president's staff stood ready to eject the man, identified in media reports as Ju Hong, a 24-year-old graduate student in the country without legal documentation, Obama interceded.

"No, no, he can stay here. I respect the passion of these young people," he said.

Addressing Hong directly, he said, "If, in fact, I could solve all these problems without passing laws in Congress, then I would do so.

"But we're also a nation of laws," he said. "The easy way out is to try to yell and pretend like I can do something by violating our laws. And what I'm proposing is the harder path, which is to use our democratic processes to achieve the same goal that you want to achieve. But it won't be as easy as just shouting. It requires us lobbying and getting it done."

Obama's speech was the most public portion of a visit that began when Air Force One touched down just after 10:30 a.m. at San Francisco International Airport. Afterward, he headed to the SFJazz Center fundraiser and another money-raising event, this one a $32,400-per-person affair at the Presidio Heights home of Salesforce founder and billionaire Marc Benioff.

'Love Batkid'

The president opened with a shout-out to Batkid, the 5-year-old leukemia survivor who got to play a superhero Nov. 15 on the streets of the city before huge crowds.

"No more super-villains because Batkid cleaned up the streets," said Obama, who cut a short congratulatory video for the boy, Miles Scott, on his big day. "Love Batkid."

Then Obama turned serious, trying to renew attention on immigration reform five months after the Senate approved a package that would create a 13-year path to citizenship for most immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally. It would also increase the number of highly skilled workers allowed into the country and establish a new visa program for farmworkers.

Activists make point

Joining immigrant advocates in protests directed at Obama were activists outside the SFJazz Center fundraiser angered by the administration's use of drone-aircraft warfare. Other protesters were dismayed by the president's actions on climate change, including his failure so far to kill the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry oil refined from tar sands from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

"I had some folks sing to me," Obama said. "I had some guy with the shoes with the little toes in 'em. ... You know, that doesn't happen in Chicago.

"There have been at least five protests. ... I don't know what they're yelling, but they're yelling something,' " he said. "That's par for the course in San Francisco."

But Obama also heard from a frustrated supporter who - like Hong - shouted at him to use executive orders to enact reforms by fiat.

"A lot of people have been saying this lately on every problem. ... Just sign an executive order, and we can pretty much do anything and basically nullify Congress," Obama said.

But he added, "That's not how it works. ... There's no shortcut to democracy. As laborious as it seems sometimes ... as frustrating as it may be sometimes, what we have to do is just keep on going, keep on pushing."